Travertine Tiles: Human Fossils Found in Home Renovations

What’s the Deal With People Finding Human Fossils in Their Travertine Tiles?

---

It's Not as Unusual as It Might Sound

Travertine is a type of limestone that forms when calcium carbonate that's dissolved in water precipitates (that is, it becomes a solid) because of a change in chemical conditions. Usually this happens around hot springs when the water emerges from the ground. "As the water comes out, it forms a thin layer of the rock, then another, then another."

• Travertine is a popular surface material in home construction
• It's durable and very effective
• Travertine is formed when calcium carbonate that's dissolved in water precipitates

While this process is happening, anything around the spring can become coated and ensconced in the calcium carbonate. This could be leaves, feathers, even animals that have died nearby. The Getty Center in Los Angeles, which is clad in travertine, famously features a number of fossils on its exterior, which have become something of a scavenger hunt for those who know where to look.

---

Could This Be a Human Jaw?

The original Reddit poster believes the travertine came from Turkey, which is a common place where the stone is quarried. "The item found in the travertine floors could have been something that died around the spring or died somewhere else and was washed into the region and covered in the travertine. Those are the two most likely scenarios," Dr. Leier explains. But is it a human jaw?

Feature	Human Jaw	Possible Animal Jaw
Arch shape	Yes	May vary
Tooth anatomy	Yes	May vary
Dental work	Possible	Unlikely

"It absolutely looks like one," say Amber D. Riley, MS, RDH, the immediate past president of American Society of Forensic Odontology, and Anthony R. Cardoza, DDS, a forensic dentistry consultant, in a joint email to AD. The arch shape and tooth anatomy appear human, but perhaps the most unusual finding is that it looks like the person may have had dental work done. "There appear to be absent teeth and the bone tissue has filled into where the teeth once were. Another human potentially intervened and removed teeth due to injury or disease," they explain.

---

What Does This Mean for Homeowners?

Geologically speaking, Dr. Leier says that travertine forms relatively quickly. "We're used to studying things that have formed over millions of years; this is something that can happen within thousands or even hundreds of years." This means that the fossil in the Reddit user's house likely originated from some point within that time frame. However, the artifact would need to be examined more closely in order to draw any conclusive answers.

Does this mean designers—or home DIY'ers—should reconsider using travertine? Probably not. "Travertine is fantastic," Dr. Leier says. "It's durable and very effective." As AD reported in 2022, travertine is among the most popular surface materials in home construction these days and just as revered as other fan-favorites such as marble or terrazzo.